Jillian Walker

Jillian Walker writes and performs sacred texts for the theatre.

Her work has taken the form of plays, musicals, sacred lecture-sermon-concert gatherings, and self-reflective space for remembrance and liberation. She draws deeply on her training as a dramaturg (MFA Columbia), Black Spiritual wisdom, and the ongoing work of black feminist thinkers to bring process-driven performance to life.

Some of her work(ings) include: Sarah’s Salt. (developed at MCC Theater, Roundabout Theater Company; Honorable Mention for the Relentless Award; finalist for the 2019 Bay Area Playwrights Festival). Songs of Speculation, presented at JACK; and “Blue Ink: A Night with Jillian Walker” performed at Joe’s Pub. Her ancestor-revering work, SKiNFoLK: An American Show (co-presented by The Bushwick Starr and National Black Theatre) was a NY Times Critics’ Pick, a “Best Orchestrations” Antonyo Award-winner, and appears on the 2020 Kilroys List.

Some of her collaborations and dramaturgical works include: co-writing for Common’s 2019 international tour, “Let Love Tour”, dramaturgy for the award-winning musical, Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of The Future and dramaturgy for Dave Malloy’s Moby-Dick, directed by Rachel Chavkin.

Jillian is currently co-conspiring with The TEAM as a writer/performer on Reconstruction, and Soho Rep., where she is the 2020-21 Tow Playwright-in-Residence and a member of the groundbreaking. She is a 2020 Lilly Award recipient who also enjoys co-conspiring with the readers of her monthly newsletter, The Free list. Visit her online.